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Spider Web Recruitment; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary £65,000 per annum

25 days holiday + Christmas closure

Pension with 8% employer contribution

Group Income Protection

Life Assurance

Continued professional development

Membership fees paid

Employee Assistance Care Programme

Carers leave

Volunteer leave

Job summary

Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) is recruiting a Head of Research to lead a small, integrated team of analysts, modelling and policy researchers. You will oversee projects from conception to publication, ensure high-quality outputs, and coordinate workloads across multidisciplinary teams.

You will manage staff, develop research plans and secure project funding, while representing PPI to government bodies and stakeholders; extensive policy research experience and strong communication skills are

Qualifications

• Postgraduate degree in social policy, economics, public policy, social science or related field.
• Experience managing small teams and leading high-quality research projects.
• Excellent report writing, communication and data presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Research Team, including line management, workload planning, mentoring and performance reviews.
• Coordinate capacity and priorities across analytical, modelling and policy projects.
• Oversee delivery of research projects from conception to publication with impartial, evidence-based outputs.
• Develop research plans, scopes, RFPs and grant proposals to secure funding.
• Present research and represent the organisation at seminars, conferences and government meetings.

Skills

Leadership

Line management

Mentoring

Stakeholder engagement

Report writing

Data presentation

Quantitative research

Qualitative research

Education

Postgraduate degree in social policy/economics/public policy

Job description

Head of Research- Spider is advertising on behalf of the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI), the UK's leading independent authority on pensions and retirement policy, who are looking for an experienced and highly capable Head of Research to join their team on a full-time, permanent and hybrid basis at their Central London office on the Strand.

Company benefits include:

• £65,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience
• Holiday: 25 days annual leave plus Christmas closure
• Pension: PPI Group Personal Pension with an initial 8% employer contribution, plus additional matching contributions for employee contributions up to 4%
• Additional: Group Income Protection, Life Assurance, continued professional development, payment of professional membership fees, Employee Assistance Care Programme, carers leave and leave for volunteering

About the role:

As Head of Research, you will lead a small, newly integrated research team combining modelling, analytical and policy research expertise. Reporting to the Deputy Director, you will be responsible for managing research staff, coordinating workloads and overseeing research projects from conception through to publication, ensuring consistently high-quality, impartial and evidence-based outputs.

Duties and Responsibilities include:

• Lead and support the Research Team, including line management, workload planning, mentoring, appraisals, development and training
• Coordinate research capacity, workloads and priorities across analytical, modelling and policy projects, fostering a collaborative and multidisciplinary team environment
• Oversee the delivery of PPI research projects, ensuring effective project management, quality standards, timely outputs and coherent integration of research findings
• Work with the Deputy Director to develop research plans, scopes, RFPs and grant proposals, supporting the identification and securing of project funding
• Present PPI research and represent the organisation at seminars, conferences, workshops and meetings with Government, the pensions industry and other stakeholders
• Develop relationships across the academic, policy and pensions communities, supporting the PPI's profile and contributing to dissemination and stakeholder engagement

About you:

Head of Research, you will have a postgraduate degree in social policy, economics, public policy, social science or a related field, with strong quantitative and qualitative research skills and knowledge of the UK pensions system or equivalent experience. You will have experience managing small teams, leading high-quality research projects and managing competing priorities, with excellent report writing, communication and data presentation skills.

You will be an organised, proactive and strategic leader with a collaborative approach and strong interpersonal skills. Experience presenting research, mentoring colleagues, building stakeholder relationships and securing research funding would be advantageous. Above all, you will be committed to independent, impartial and evidence-based research, with excellent attention to detail, sound judgement and a solutions-focused approach.

About Pensions Policy Institute:

The Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) is the UK's leading independent authority on pensions and retirement policy. The PPI conducts rigorous, impartial research and analysis from an evidence-based, long-term perspective. Its work is used by Government and across Westminster, as well as by the pensions industry and consumer groups, helping to inform major decisions affecting millions of people in retirement.

Additional keywords: Head of Research, Research Manager, Policy Research, Pensions Research, Pension Policy, Retirement Policy, Research Management, Social Policy, Public Policy, Economics, Quantitative Research, Qualitative Research, Research Funding, Research Leadership, Policy Analysis, Report Writing, Stakeholder Engagement, Government Relations, Financial Services, Pensions Industry, Academic Research.

If you require any reasonable adjustments such as access or information in an alternative format, please inform us soon as you are able so that we can make the appropriate adjustments.